Hotel Not Accept Credit Card - Tips

Hello Tanya,

On the issue of not accepting the credit card, this is from Andy of HoboTraveler.com
YOU WROTE - Note: (...) Three dashes means I edited the text

Name: Tanya
EMail: (...)
Country: Ghana
Message:
I have a friend (and 8-year old son) whose passports (India) are apparently being held by The Adom Wo Wim Hotel in Obuasi - Ashanti Region, West Africa, because they would not accept his credit card to pay his hotel bill. They are requiring him to pay cash and he has been unable to travel anywhere outside of Ashanti Region in order to get the cash. He claims the Indian Embassy stated they could not help him. Please help assist him with how to get cash in order to pay this bill. He is being held at something called a "security department" (not a police station) until he pays the bill and the hotel returns his passport to him. He was supposed to return to the U.S. this week (week of March 12th, 2007). Thank you in advance!
ANSWER:

Tanya, I think you are in Ghana he is in also in Ghana, West Africa.
The question is why the credit card was not accepted?

- IF because it has expired, then a major problem, he needs a friend to send him money.
I would say with westernunion.com
http://www.westernunion.com/
- If it is because there is corruption, than he need to just wait until they give up and let him go.
- IF the credit card is working, yet they just do not take credit cards, he can do one of two things. First go to a bank and get a cash advance, however maybe this does not work. The second is to go to an internet cafe. Use the WesternUnion.com site and send himself money.
http://www.westernunion.com/
It is possible he has a credit card that is not international and only works in India. Then back to having a friend send the money. Western Union is everywhere and it seems more often than a bank.
The long-term solution here is for him to carry cash enough to always pay his hotel bills, if he does not have the cash, then do not rent the room.
Note, it is also possible this is just one of the sort of malicious scam letters being sent to me by person who think I will come and pay them money to help, not going to happen.
NOTE: Any friend of his can send money to him, from about anywhere, they do not need to have a credit card, note have it sent to him only, not the government officials.
I suspect if he waits long enough, they will let him go and get him out of their hair.
I do not use credit cards for hotel bills, I have never used one in 10 years. I go to ATM or Bank Machines and take money, I have two cards, one a Visa Plus system and the other a Cirrus system.
Andy in Lome, Togo West Africa March 2007